Ballet slipper



Juli 7, 1931.

s. CAPEZIO BALLET SLIPPER -'Fi 1ed March 1. 1929 INVENTOR salvafore Cqpezm BY 9 TT RNEYs Patented July 7, 1931 SALVATORE CAPEZIO, or nasr rnrnnson, NEW JERSEY BALLET SLiPPER Application filed March 1,

This invention relates to ballet slippers, and more particularly to means permitting such slippers to be used for the dancing on polished floors. i .5 A popular form-of modern entertainment is either a solo or a synchronized ballet, in which modern dance steps are performed as toe dance steps. These exhibitions are often given on highl polished dance floors,-and cause great di culty in the tendency of the ballet slipper to lose its gripand skid on the smooth floor. The primary object of my invention is to add to the comfort and safety of the dancer by obviating this difliculty, to which end I have devised a molded rubber toe guard of especially desirable form.

The dancer is apt to slip not only when on her toes, but also, for exam 'le, when kicking while resting on the sole 0 one foot, and'to prevent this happening, and at the same time to strengthen and simplify the attachment of the guard to the slipper, are further objects of my invention, which I fulfilhgenerally speaking, by providing a sole port1o n with the toe portion of the guard. It then 1s a further object of my invention toinsure flexibility between the molded toe portion and sole of the guard. I

Ballet slippers are usually costly, and to permanently attach a uard, such as have so far described, to a allet slipper tends to spoil the slipper for ordinary use. Furthermore, different colored slippers are'worn with different costumes,'and it is desirable, if possible, to avoid the necessity of providing so many slippers, and the further necessity of permanently attaching rubber guards to all of these slippers. To economize in the use of both the slippers and the guards, and to make them readily separable and interchangeable, and to lengthen the wear and life of the slippers, are all furtherobjects of my invention. These objects I attain, broadly, by providing with the guard an elastic cover adapted to be pulled over and to tightly fit theballet slipper. Furtherobjects of my invention are to aid ventilation of the feet, and to protect the fabric of the slipper over which the cover is worn.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing 1929. Serial No. 343,671.

and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the toe guard, the sole guard, their relation one to the other, and the elastic cover fitted with such guards, as hereinafter are more particularly described and' sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodimentsof my invention, and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a guard con structed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is aside elevation of an elastic cover and guard; I

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the cover shown in Fig. 2; and f Fig. 4 is a section taken in the plane of the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

In one'aspect my invention consists in the provision of a molded rubbertoe guard, such as the toe portion numbered 2 in Fig. 1 of i the drawings. This guard is convexly formed to fit the toe of a ballet dancerstoe slipper, and is affixed thereto either by being cemented or stitched thereto, or both. I consider it especially advantageous to mold the guard, rather than to attempt to cut it from a flator'calenderedsheet of rubber, because the sheet rubber cannot be properly fitted to'the toe of the'slipper unless it is slitted and patternedproperly into shape.

To prevent the dancerfrom slipping when resting on the ball or sole of her foot rather than on the toe, I provide a sole portion, as well as a toe portion, for the guard, and this is indicatedgenerally bythe numeral 4 in Fig. 1. To insure that'the guard will take the wear, the rubber of which it is composed is a moderately soft rubber sufficiently hard to wear well yet soft enough to be yielding and flexible and comfortable to the wearer.

In order to increase the flexibility of the connectionbetween the toe and sole portions of the guard the interconnecting portion v6 thereof. is contracted or narrowed, as is clearly indicated in the drawings. tion of the sole portionserves'not only to prevent slipping, but also facilitates and strength.- ens the attachment ofthe complete guard to the ballet slipper. The sole may, if desired, be perforated withventilating holes 8. The

The addichangeable, andfor' this purpose I have devised an elastic cover, illustratedin Figs. 2,

3', and 4. Referring to these figures it will be seen that the cover comprises a main body or upper 10, which is made of relatively thin and soft and highly elastic rubber, and which,

is so sized and shaped that it may be pulled over a ballet slipper and grip tightly. In order to increase the wear a. guard, such as has already. been described, andcomprising a toe portion .12, a sole portionl l, and an inter,- connecting portion 16, is vulcanizedto the cover. The cover may also be providedwith -a--rubber. insole 30, which also isvulcanized toxthe upper 10 and outsidel l, and which serves .to shape and strengthen the cover.

As was already mentioned in connection with the guard shownin Fig. 1, thetoe and outsole portions are made ofextra thickness ofmoderately soft.- rubber, and their. outer surface isknurle'd, milled, dimpled, 'oruotherwise roughened, to improve its gripron the floor. Ventilating holes 18- are provided, which pass through both the insoleand out sole. a

The upper orbody of the cover,and the top surface of the insole thereof, are preferably lined with, a soft: fabric lining or net, f indi- 'c-ated'at. 32, the fabric 'ofwhich is selected with aview. to preventing injury tothe material 'andifinish-of the satin or silk: ballet slipper over which the cover is worn.

The cover is thickenedior ridged slightly along'its upper edge 20, and'at the heel 22, in order to strengthen it against'tearing, and tovimp rove its. appearance. The ridge may bemade by vulcanizin g a rubber. strip or tape to the elastic upper. Lines of imitation stitchingfare provided at 24:, so that the :cover will more closely resemble a regular-ballet slipper.

Modern processesin the working-of rubb'er makeitipossibletomake these coversin various colors, and to give th'erubber aslustrous andoma-te or decorative finish. which closely resembles the appearance of the true satin fabric or silk fabric slipper. The shape 'of the cover is made such-that itcompletely andaecurately covers the slipper, so that it is only with. difiiculty that the fact that a coveris worn can be discerned; This permits covers of different: color-to beworn over a single ballet: "slipper regardless of the color interchangeability with any of a number of slippers; the fact that it may be worn upon and will grip a slipper even over small variations in slipper size; the fact that wearing the guard does not spoil the slipper over which it is worn; on the contrary, it actually serves to preserve the slipperand to keepit clean, andimay be worn for this express'purpose during rehearsals and the like; and finally,

the fact that there is no loss in attractiveness ofappea-ran'ce because of the-colorful and lustrous finish given to the elastic cover; so much so that'the cover may be worn over old slippers, resulting in the appearance of new ones. It may also be'mentioned that the use of my invention-eliminates noise and, cushions the step ot'the dancer; 7 I

' It iS;,6- Vi'd81ltgth&13 in-carryingout the present invention any of the well-known manufaoturjing practices; in the rubber footwear industry; mayjbe followed, so far. as they may be applicable and practical, I i 7 It will also be apparent'that while I have shown and described my inventionin the preferred forms, many changesfand modifications-may be made in the; structures disclosed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, defined in the following claims lvhatl-claimaisz T 1 7, 1i -A protective device for ballet dancers toe slippers; comprising; a molded rubber guard having {a toeportion ,cOnve-xly formed 'to-fit the toe of the -sli pper, a sole portion, and 12111 ginterconnecting portion therebetween, saild interconnecting portion beingcontracted in; dimension in orderto promoteflexibility between the toe and sole po'rtions.-

2 A protective device for ballet dancers toe slipper-s comprising a molded; rubber guard having a toe portion convex-1y fo'rmedto-fiEt the toe of the slipper, a sole portion, and; a contracted interconnecting portion therebetween, all made integrally, the outer face of-thefguard being; providediwfi t'h a finely. knurled surface; in) order to prevent slip'pi-ngon apo-lished floor V g A protective-device for-ballet dancers toe slippers; comprising an, elastic rubber cover adapted to be pulledover and tightly fit the slipper, and having integrally formed therewith. on. the toe thereof a 1 Wearing surface :of extra-thickness ofrubber: o

4. protective device for ballet dancers toe. slippers; comprising 7 an elastic rubber cover: adapted to be pulled over and tightly lit the. slipper, and; having integrally formed therewith awearing surface ofimolded rubber offextraathiclmesson the toe; :andsole thereof.

5,. A .protect-ivedevice'for ballet dancers toe: slippers comprising an elastic rubber cover. adapted to be pulled :over and tightly; fit the slipper,- and having integrally formed therewith Ia wearing portion of molded rubber of extra thickness on the toe and sole thereof, theoutersurface, otthe wa-rmgportibh being finely knurled in order to prevent slipping on a polished floor.

6. A protective device for ballet dancers toe slippers comprising an elastic rubber cover adapted to be pulled over and tightly fit the slipper, and having integrally formed therewith a wearing portion of knurled rubber of extra thickness on the toe and underneath the sole thereof in order to prevent slipping on a polished floor, the wearing portion being contracted between the toe and sole in order to increase the flexibility of the cover.

7. A protective device for ballet dancers toe slippers comprising an elastic rubber cover adapted to be pulled over and tightly fit the slipper, and having integrally formed therewith a wearing portion of molded and knurled rubber of extra thickness on the toe and underneath the sole thereof in order to prevent slipping on a polished floor, the sole of said cover being provided with ventilating perforations.

8. A protective device for ballet dancers toe slippers comprising an elastic rubber cover adapted to be pulled over and to completely cover and tightly fit the slipper, and having integrally formed therewith a wearing portion of molded and knurled rubber of extra thickness on the toe and underneath the sole thereof in order to prevent slipping on a polished floor, the sole of said cover being provided with ventilating perforations, and the body of said cover being suitably finished to resemble the usual fabric slipper.

9. A protective device for ballet dancers toe slippers comprising an elastic rubber cover adapted to be pulled over and to completely cover and tightly fit the slipper, a wearing portion of rubber of extra thickness integrally formed therewith on the toe and underneath the sole thereof, an insole therefor, and a fabric lining for the insole and the cover in order to prevent damage to the slipper on which it is worn, the cover being provided with ventilating perforations which pierce both the sole and the insole of the cover.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of February, A. D. 1929.

SALVATORE CAPEZIO. 

